Embodiments of the present invention relate to a connection appliance, and more particularly, to a connection appliance for connecting an end section of a first conduit to an end section of a second conduit that is fixed to a holding unit of a subsea support structure. Embodiments of the present invention also relate to a connection arrangement comprising such a connection appliance and a subsea support structure.
Development within offshore oil and gas exploration in the recent years has been directed to subsea installations for processing and transport of oil and gas. These subsea installations replace the traditional platforms, where oil and gas were transported up to the platform for further processing and transport. This development of subsea production, processing and transport systems has resulted in an increasing need for connection arrangements for connecting a first conduit to a second conduit at or near the seabed.
A connection arrangement comprising a connection appliance is previously known from WO 2009/082240 A1. This known connection appliance comprises a base structure, to which a termination head of a first conduit is slidably mounted. At its outer end, the termination head carries a connecting device, for instance in the form of a clamp connector, which is mounted to a hub provided at the outer end of the termination head. An end section of a second conduit is fixed to a holder unit of a subsea support structure. The base structure of the connection appliance is connectable to a base frame of the subsea support structure by being lowered downwards onto the base frame so as to come to bear against it. The base structure of the connection appliance is provided with guiding means configured to co-operate with corresponding guiding means on the base frame of the subsea support structure so as to guide the base structure into a correct position in relation to the base frame when the base structure is lowered downwards into contact with the base frame. When the connection appliance has been landed onto the subsea support structure, a stroking tool in the form of a hydraulic cylinder or a similar mechanism is at one of its ends secured to an anchoring means fixed to the termination head of the first conduit and at its other end secured to an anchoring means fixed to the holding unit of the subsea support structure. Thereafter, the stroking tool is operated to pull the termination head and the clamping device towards and into contact with a hub provided at the end of the second conduit, whereupon the clamping device is operated to clamp the hub of the termination head to the hub of the second conduit so as to thereby form a fluid-tight connection between the first and second conduits.